Emergency wheel



Aug. 17, 194s. l D. E BENNETT 2,447,225(

- EMERGENCY WHEEL v Filed Aug. 6, 1945 [NI/EN TOR.

30A/ALD f. BENNETT Patented Aug. 17, 1948 i .UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE Donald Edward Bennett, Larkspur, Calif. Application August s, 1945, serial Nt. 609,118

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to tires.

An object of the invention is' the provision of an auxiliary ring or wheel on the tire on which the load can be carried in the event the tire for some reason is deated to a dangerous flatness.

Another Aobject of the invention is to provide an auxiliary ring` or supporty on which a wheel can rotate andV carry a loadY after the tire of the wheel is deflated to dangerous softness.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for pneumatic tire wheels which provides protection against any deation beyond the danger zone of injury to the tires, and will positively eliminate injury to tires from stone bruises, curbing, or injury caused from running on a at tire, because, irrespective of whether the attening is caused by sudden deflation or by ya slowA leak, the Warning of the deation when the auxiliary wheel hits the road or curb, gives the driver time to slowdown and prevent an accident before the tire becomes completely flat, or automatically warns the driver that the tire must be inflated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary protector ring or wheel which can be readily attached to tire wheels sc as to carry the load when the tire is deflated to a dangerous softness.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tire protector device which is highly useful and simple in construction, Convenience of arrange ment, lightness and comparative inexpense of manufacture are further objects which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the invention.

The essential features of the invention Vinyolved in the carrying .out of the objects indi.-

Aa safety device for cated are susceptible to modification, but a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the yaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a tire wheel with my protector device in position on the same.

Fig. 2 is a partly fragmental side view of the wheel :and the device, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view of a modied embodiment of myprotector device for use in connection with double wheels.

In Fig. l I show a wheelV I on the rim 2 of which is mounted a usual pneumatic tire 3. The average tire used on automobiles at the present is depressed several inches radially under the load it carries. When the tire is properly lnflated it can stand the stress of such compression without cuts, bruises or breakage of the fabric.

2 When, however, a tire is, for any reason, deflated to such a. softness that under compression the tire is attened lcloser to the tire rim, then the' compression of the tire to the usual several inches Iwould damage the tire. To prevent such injury to the tire I provide a ring or auxiliary wheel 4 which is suitably mounted on the wheel I so that' the outer periphery or bearing flange 5 of the ring 4 is spaced from the inflated outer periphery of the tire 3 to a radial distance substantially equal to the dangerous zone of deflation of said tire 3. The ring ange 5 is spaced to Yone side of the tire 3. In the Wheel I is formed the .usual hollow hub I5Y which is mounted on the axle I by suitable bolts 8 and nuts I0. It is preferable that the auxiliary wheel 4 be mounted on the hub 6.

vIn the illustrative embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 theyauxiliary wheel 4 has a central hub which forms a hub cap 9 forA the hub 6 of the usual wheel I. The disc or spokes II which connect the liange 5 to the hub cap 9 are preferably inclined radially outwardly and away from the wheel I so as to properly space Ythe ange 5 of the yauxiliary wheel 4 from the side of thetire 3. It is to be noted that the diameter of the warning or supporting flange 5 of the auxiliary wheel 4 extends to slightly above the middle of the side wall of the tire 3, so that Awhen the tire 3 is deflated and under the load is compressed or flattened to about the diameter of the ange 5, the said ange 5 will touch the road or surface and give warning to the driver that the tire is dangerously deflated,l

The outward spacing of the flange 5 is such that in the event of driving into a curb or a large stone, the flange 5 yvill hit the curb or stone and will shield the tire from injury, at the s-ame time warning the driver.

In the illustrative embodiment herein the wheel hub 6 is provided with internal quarter threads I2 nearthe outer edge I3 of the hollow hub 6. The hub cap 9 of the auxiliary wheel 4 is provided with a cylindrical hub capV ange I4 which fits into the interior of the hollow hub 6. On this cylindrical hub cap flange I4 are provided threaded projections I6 which are arranged as male quarter threads fitting into the female quarter threads I2 of the hub 6. The predetermined turning of the auxiliary wheel 4 for this threaded engagement with the hollow hub 6 will tend to locate the auxiliary wheel 4 and its hub cap 9 always in the same position relatively to the bolt 8 in the hollow hub 6.

The auxiliary wheel 4 is prevented from acci- 3 dental turning, in this illustration, by the use of a sleeve nut l1. This sleeve nut l1 is threaded throughout its interior length and into the outer end of the sleeve nut l1 is secured a bolt or screw I8 which latter is extended through a hole I9 in the hub cap 9.

In assembling the auxiliary wheel 4 on the wheel I, the hub cap 9 is secured into the hub 6 similarly to the operation of securing a usual hub cap -on a hub. I-n this instance the wheel 4 is so located that the hole I9 is about quarter turn away from the connecting bolt 8 in the hllb f 6. Then as the hub cap 9 is turned a` quarter Y of a revolution, it is to be secured in place and the hole I9 will be aligned withits bolt 84. The sleeve nut l1 is placed on the bolt 8 prior to the assembly of the auxiliary wheel 4, vso that the hole I9 will be aligned with the sleeve nutfll. y.

Then by inserting the bolt I8 from the outside through the hole vI9 into the sleeve nut l1, the accidental rotation of the -hub cap 9 and the auxiliary wheel 4 is prevented.

The illustrative embodiment shown in Fig. 3 includes an auxiliary wheel 2l mounted between double wheels y22 on the axle 23. In this form the auxiliary `wheel 2l has a plurality of holes 24 therein corresponding to 'the usual bolt holes 26 inthe hubs of the double wheels 22 so that the auxiliary wheel `2I is bolted in place together with the double wheels 22. The properly spaced rims 21 of the double wheels 22 support spaced pneumatic tires 28. The auxiliary wheel 2l extends outwardly between the tires 28 and has on its outer peripherya bearingflange 29 spa-ced from the sides and from the outer peripheries of the tires 28 to a distance corresponding to the dangerous condtion of latness of said tires.

1n my invention the auxiliary wheel 4 in its first `form fully protect-s against stone bruises, rim `cuts or'breaking of the fabric on account of deflation of tires beyond the predetermined danger zona Both forms of the invention provide for warning to the 'driver of such iiatnes's when the flanges of the auxiliary wheels touch the road. The auxiliary lwheels also provide protection for riding on the auxiliary wheel when the tire is iiat because it prevents the flattening of the tire against the usual tire wheel and carries the load cn the auxiliary wheel. The first form also pro vides for protection against injury to the tire when the wheel is bumped or driven into a curb. The auxiliary wheel of my construction is easily installed and it positively operates without need for any adjustment or any unusual operation. It is simple in construction and it is eminently adapted for the purposes herein stated.

The, combination with a tire wheel having a Vpneumatic tire mounted on its rim and having a hollow wheelhub, of an auxiliary wheel lcorriprising a hub c ap fitting over the hollow hub of `-said wheel, an Aannular ange, an auxiliary wheel bodyiconnecting said flange to said hub cap and spacing said flange outwardly from the side of the tire and radially inwardly from the periphery of said tire, said 'hub cap'being'hOllUW, threaded connecting means between said hub cap and'said hub for securing saidY hub capv and Vhubl together upon a predetermined degree of turning vof said hub cap in said hub, said hub cap 'having `al hole therethrough, and means `extending through said hole and connected to said vhubV to prevent the rotation of said vhub` cap yrelatively to said hub.

DONALD 'EDWARD BENNETT.

"REFERENCES CITED The lfollowing references are of record in the le of .this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

